The Ambassador to China, Lt.-Gen. Abdulrahman Dambazau (rtd.), has commended Nigerian students for their outstanding performance at the iCode Competition held in Beijing, China.
The Executive Director of Glisten International Academy, Abba Saidu, disclosed this in a statement issued on Monday in Abuja following the participation of 17 Nigerian students from four schools in Abuja at the international competition.
Saidu said the students, led by Glisten International Academy, Abuja, and accompanied by five chaperones, represented Nigeria at the competition held on Saturday.
He said the students demonstrated their coding abilities, creativity, technological skills, problem-solving capacity and innovative ideas during the competition.
According to him, the Nigerian Embassy in Beijing was represented at the event and expressed pride in the students’ impressive performance and conduct.
Saidu said the participation provided the students with an opportunity to demonstrate the potential of Nigeria’s younger generation in science, technology, innovation and human capital development.
He explained that the initiative was part of efforts to promote Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) education among Nigerian children.
He added that the programme also exposed the students to international technological environments, innovation ecosystems and cross-cultural learning opportunities.
Saidu quoted Dambazau as commending the leadership of Glisten International Academy and the accompanying team for creating the opportunity for the students to participate in the international competition.
The envoy also praised the initiative for giving the students first-hand exposure to China’s technological and educational environment.
Dambazau reminded the students that academic excellence must be accompanied by good character, discipline, responsibility and respect for others.
“Learning and character must always go together,” he said.
He encouraged the students to recognise that representing Nigeria abroad carried responsibilities beyond winning competitions, urging them to conduct themselves in ways that reflected the values and dignity of the country.
According to him, there is a need to expose Nigerian children to learning opportunities beyond the traditional classroom.
Dambazau noted that international competitions, educational exchanges, technology programmes and cultural experiences could broaden young people’s perspectives and prepare them for future challenges.
He called for greater participation of public schools across the 36 states in similar international educational and technological programmes, stressing that opportunities for innovation and exposure should not be limited to a few institutions.
The envoy described Nigeria’s young population as one of the country’s greatest assets, stressing that deliberate investment in STEM education, digital skills, creativity, innovation and character development would be critical to building the Nigeria of tomorrow.
Dambazau congratulated the students for their commendable representation of Nigeria and celebrated their courage, creativity, discipline and determination, saying their participation in Beijing demonstrated that Nigerian youths could compete confidently on the global stage when given the right opportunities and support.
He reiterated his commitment to strengthening people-to-people relations between Nigeria and China through educational diplomacy, youth development, technology exchange and greater global exposure.
